I have found it best not to water a plant to be moved. It seems to always loosen the soil as it did in your case. At this point I would just keep them well watered and see what happens. Many people would tell you to cut the plant back, I find that this frequently causes more stress. They will go through a period where you may regret your actions, but a year from now I think you will find that they have adjusted.

i understand.. you did what you did.. when it needed be done ... so be it ...

in my sand ... i cant really dig a rootball ... the sand just falls off .. and bare root is not that big a deal ....

so you just proceed and hope for the best ...

see link on doing it the best way ... WHEN THAT IS AN OPTION ... which it wasnt here ..

i would not be surprised.. if all the leaves fall off .. but if you perfect watering.. perhaps it will releaf ... keep in mind.. you moved a root mass ... and if you dont kill the roots.. most shrubs can recover ....

ken

https://sites.google.com/site/tnarboretum/Home/planting-a-tree-or-shrub

I find that if I use a product called Super Thrive. It is a Vitamin K and B solution and it really helps to keep the roots from getting to stressed and the plant going in shock. If you can't find that, get a product that helps stress of roots. Also, you might try putting the plant in a humidity tent for a couple of days and keep the plant in shade.

Have no fear, they're probably fine after the initial shock of moving. I had a clump

growing in my horse pasture and tried to dig it up and ended up with 5 or 6 plants, stuck them in the ground and they're all doing fine.

If they start looking stressed, give them some portable shade for a couple of weeks so they aren’t losing quite as much moisture through transpiration via leaves.

I second what is written above. CM are very hardy and want to live (unlike some plants that really challenge you and say "I want to die... try and get around that!"). All of this was written above, so I'm just repeating: I would keep watering them well (twice a day); providing temporary shade is a GREAT idea (if you have a tent or awning; below are pictures of a "shade cage" idea someone once posted - looks very easy to make and not too expensive, I wouldn't think); I would not cut them back; I would not hope for a lot this year except to keep them alive. As said by others, I bet next year they will be just fine.

Carol in Jacksonville

I had a car accident happen in front of my house in the country once, and one of the cars dragged one of my CMs out of the ground and landed on top of it. When they towed the car off, it dragged it again, breaking off most of the limbs. I cut off all the damaged limbs, stuck it back in the ground, kept it watered, and while it looked dead until the next spring, it came back out and grew and bloomed like mad. Everyone kept telling me I should just dig it up and toss it, but I said no, that it would be fine, and it was. Of course, it turned from a tree into a bush, but it was the pretties CM I had.

That's good to hear, Deb. I have 2 crape myrtles in front of our new home and they've been subjected to 'crape murder' pruning. I am thinking of cutting them way down this winter and turning them into shorter specimens. I hope it works and the HOA won't fine me for doing it!

Marcia, you can cut them all the way down to nubs and they'll come back from the bottom, then you can choose how many trunks you want to keep. Haven't you seen those in the medians in NP and Venice that were hit by cars, and were coming back up from the roots?

Better ask the HOA, though. I hope they don't keep you from planting your gardens once you move in. HOAs can be so horrible! I purposely chose a house that wasn't deed restricted so I could do what I wanted with my yard.

Deb, there are 'rules' at the HOA, but I let my gardens get too out of hand at the other house--I didn't know plants would get 12 feet tall and run like crazy in one season :) I might like some rules! I have a bunch of plants in pots and I'll see how I like gardening that way. If HOA living isn't for us, we can always move again!

Marcia, I understand. I created a monster in my old yard, and if I wasn't restricted by space here, I'd do the same. I have a friend who moved into a condo with a small courtyard to rein her gardening in, then THAT got out of control, so she just dug everything up and grew a few container plants.

When I moved here, I thought I would only be able to garden in my courtyard (11 x 14), but then they went and told me I could do anything I wanted around my apartment, and I went crazy. It's going to be crazy when I move, because it all has to come out for the new tenant, so they can do what they want with the space.